Advisory Opinion: 1192

Year Issued: 1988

RPC(s): RPC 7.1

Subject: Advertising; use of testimonials not from actual clients

The Committee reviewed your inquiry concerning the propriety of running newspaper advertisements which purport to feature statements from "satisfied clients" which do not in fact feature any actual clients of the lawyer. The Committee was of the opinion that such a practice would be false and misleading unless the ad featured an actual client who had volunteered such statements as are used in the ad and in the context in which the ad portrays them, or otherwise identified the "testimonials" as a dramatization so as to avoid any deception.

Advisory Opinions are provided for the education of the Bar and reflect the opinion of the Committee on Professional Ethics (CPE) or its predecessors. Advisory Opinions are provided pursuant to the authorization granted by the Board of Governors, but are not individually approved by the Board and do not reflect the official position of the Bar association. Laws other than the Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct may apply to the inquiry. The Committee's answer does not include or opine about any other applicable law other than the meaning of the Rules of Professional Conduct.